A Russian cybergang called BlackCat (also known as ALPHV) claims to have stolen a vast amount of confidential data from Barts Health NHS Trust.
Barts Health NHS Trust serves 2.5 million patients, all of whom could potentially be affected. Our cyber experts have been investigating the breach and have found a dark website for the ransomware group. On this site, the hackers claim to have “citizens’ confidential documents,” including personal and financial information.
BlackCat set a deadline of 3rd June for the Trust to begin ransom negotiations. As this deadline has now expired, a staggering seven TB of data could now be released. This data is said to include CVs and financial reports, as well as internal hospital information (possibly stolen patient records).
Intelligence officials are currently investigating the breach, which involves hospitals and clinics in East London. The hospitals include:
- The Royal London Hospital
- St Bartholomew’s Hospital
- Whipps Cross Hospital
- Newham Hospital
- Mile End Hospital
We do not know how genuine the hacker’s claims are. However, a spokesperson for Barts confirmed that the Trust was aware of the claims and was investigating “as a matter of urgency”.
If patient data has been compromised, victims of this breach could experience identity and financial theft. Not to mention distress at having their personal medical records compromised. As such, to hold those responsible to account, we are looking to launch a no-win-no-fee group action claim to help victims of this data breach claim compensation. To register your interest in joining this action, please register below and we will be in touch to invite you to join our claim.
